JEANNE DU BARRY review by Shelly Schoeneshoefer
© WILD BUNCH GERMANY
JEANNE DU BARRY
JEANNE DU BARRY — DIE FAVORITIN DES KÖNIGS
FRANCE | UK | BELGIUM 2023 OPENING AUGUST 24 , 2023
DIRECTED BY : MAÏWENN
WRITING CREDITS : MAÏWENN , TEDDY LUSSI-MODESTE , NICOLAS LIVECCHI
PRINCIPAL ACTORS : JOHNNY DEPP , MAÏWENN , BENJAMIN LAVERNHE , MELVIL POUPAUD , PIERRE RICHARD
Maïwenn is a name we are unlikely to forget . Like Jeanne du Barry , Maïwenn certainly has not taken the conventional path in life to get to where she is now . Married at sixteen to the famous director / screenwriter Luc Besson , Maïwenn certainly has learned the tricks of the trade to produce one of the most expensive French films made in 2022 . With its budget of $ 22.4 million , Jeanne du Barry truly expresses the lavish atmosphere seen at the court of Versailles . Maïwenn was not only the director but was one of the screenwriters , producers , and , most importantly , she played the lead female role in this film about the controversial courtesan Jeanne Bécu at the court of King Louis XV . Maïwenn ’ s decision to use Johnny Depp after all of his trials and tribulations seemed a bit risky , but he naturally made a perfect King Louis XV , who , in his late fifties , had clearly seen better times . Depp shows off his talent for speaking French which , unfortunately , will get lost when they dub the film into other languages . It seems that even at Cannes , Maïwenn created a scandal by spitting in a journalist ’ s face , and one could wonder if the ghost of the headstrong Jeanne du Barry had come alive . Although Maïwenn seems to be anti- # MeToo movement , the audience shouldn ’ t let that be an influence when viewing her film .
Maïwenn ’ s elegantly handcrafted film captures the elaborate atmosphere of the royal court while giving us a view into the court ’ s inner workings and its mannerisms . The film begins with a narration of her humble beginnings as the illegitimate daughter of a seamstress . Due to her legendary beauty and wit , she chose the best career suited for her , as a prostitute working in the salons visited by aristocrats . Through schemes and politics , she receives the opportunity of a lifetime , but with every opportunity there is a price to pay . Scandals intrigue , and satire is the perfect vehicle for reflecting a woman ’ s point of view in this historical drama . 116 minutes .
48 HAMBURG HAPPENINGS